Confession To Those in my Chinese Cooking Class
posted Saturday, 12 December 2009
I didn't know back then what I was doing. I was barely out of college when I started teaching Chinese cooking classes. My classes were great, and I usually had a waiting list for people to get into them.
My philosophy was that people learn by a combination of participating and observing. If you just participate, you really just do your own assigned task and do not see what everyone else is doing. But if you see a demonstration, you see everything that is going on. So you get the best of both worlds if you can both observe and participate.
I would demonstrate how to make wontons. It is important to put just the right amount of filling in the center and pinch the corners together properly so that the wonton would not come apart when cooked. I would then give everyone a few wrappers and let them assemble their own.
Making the crab rangoon was interesting. Everyone thought they were good. I wouldn't know because I don't eat crab meat. Of course, I didn't let anyone know that I was cooking and teaching something that I had never eaten before, I don't even know what crab tastes like. So what I did was that I went to a Chinese restaurant and ordered crab rangoon, not to eat it, but to dissect it and try to figure what's in it and the proportions. What I noticed was that no matter what restaurant that I went to, there was hardly any crab meat at all in the crab rangoon. It looked as though there was a dab of cream cheese. That did not seem right to me. I can see why everyone like mine, I had a quality amount of crab meat in the ones that I made.
I taught these cooking classes for a few years. They were successful, I was confident, and felt good about having a waiting list of people to get into them. So why do I say that I didn't know what I was doing? It's because I used MSG. In fact, I encouraged my students to use it. I told them what I knew - that it enhances the flavor of the dish. I taught people by my example to use MSG.
That was a long, long, long time ago. Today, as a Wellness Coach and being a lot more informed, I tell people to NEVER use MSG.
So is MSG really that bad for you? YES! Here is some information about MSG:
MSG, monosodium glutamate, is a flavor enhancer commonly used in Chinese food, and also canned vegetables, soups, and processed meats. There is a controversy over whether MSG is safe, even though the Food and Drug Administration has classified MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe."
A comprehensive review of all available scientific data on glutamate safety sponsored by the FDA in 1995 reaffirmed the safety of MSG when consumed at levels typically used in cooking and food manufacturing. The report found no evidence to suggest that MSG contributes to any long-term health problems. But it did acknowledge that some people may have short-term reactions to MSG. These reactions are known as MSG symptom complex. The symptoms are usually mild, but some people have more severe reactions. Some of the symptoms include:
- Chest pain
- Flushing
- Headache
- Nausea
- Numbness
- Rapid, fluttering heartbeats
- Sense of facial pressure or tightness
- Shortness of breath
- Sweating
- Weakness
Millions of people eat Chinese food and other food products with MSG without even being aware of it, and without having any problems. But there are a significant amount of people who do have problems. To be on the safe side, I recommend to eliminate it from your diet. This is an easy one to avoid. Read your labels, and if you eat in a Chinese restaurant, tell them to leave out the MSG when your order.
So for anyone who was in one of my cooking classes, and loved what we made, and is still making the dish just as I did, I'm sorry that I told you to use MSG. Please stop. I know better now.
I am a virtual Wellness Coach where coaching is by phone from the comfort of your own home. Sign up for coaching on my website or contact me at mywellnesscoach@verizon.net. Contact me for a free consultation.
www.MyPersonalWellnessCoach.com
Barbara Leynor
Certified Wellness Coach
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